He released his debut album Soul on Ice in 1996. The album built up considerable hype through the release of several independent singles, including "Remain Anonymous" and "Won't Catch Me Runnin'." Soul on Ice saw little commercial success but was adored by the hip-hop underground, which appreciated both his sharp battle rhymes and his militant Afrocentricity. The latter also caused controversy due to the songs "Ordo Abchao" and "Nature of the Threat," which were tracks detailing the history of white-on-black racism, the latter lasting for well over seven minutes and likely his best-known song. Some claimed that Ras was extreme to the point of racism against Caucasians.
Ras Kass made a big push to make sure his second album Rasassination was commercially successful. As well as securing guest appearances from Xzibit and the Wu-Tang Clan's RZA, he received considerable assistance from superstar West Coast producer Dr. Dre, who rhymed on the lead single "Ghetto Fabulous," the video for which was supported by an extravagant video shot on a luxury yacht.
The album contained some of his most intellectual material to date ("Interview With A Vampire," a theological and spiritual exploration that featured Ras rhyming from the perspectives of God, himself, and the Devil) and occasionally addressed very personal subject matter ("It Is What It Is," concerning his relationship with his mother). Despite the single, his album didn't sell well.
Ras Kass' third album Van Gogh was originally intended for release in 2001. However, the nearly-finished album was leaked onto the internet months before the release date. It received excellent reviews,but the bootlegging caused his label Priority Records to push the release date back twice before the record was eventually shelved indefinitely. This further worsened the relationship between the label and Ras Kass, which was already strained due to disputes over several things, including the level of promotion Ras was being given, and the alleged block of the Columbia/SME Records release of his supergroup Golden State Warriors' debut album. The unreleased Van Gogh album even featured the lyrics "Fuck Priority Records, like Prince I'm writing SLAVE on my cheek" (this was later fulfilled as Ras Kass appeared in popular hip hop magazine XXL with SLAVE written on his face).
The relationship between Ras and Priority reached breaking point when the label also shelved the intended Van Gogh replacement Goldyn Chyld, an album that featured tracks from Van Gogh as well as new material. The indefinite postponement was due to a dispute over the lead single: Ras wanted to release the DJ Premier-produced title track, while Priority wanted a Dr. Dre-produced track, against the wishes of both Ras and Dre. This prompted Ras to launch a Free Ras Kass campaign (supported by an on-line petition and T-shirts) to gain his release from his contract with the label.
In February 2004, Ras Kass went on the run from the authorities after a warrant was issued following an arrest for reckless driving. He then gave himself up during Memorial Day Weekend in May of that year. While incarcerated, he organized the independent release of a mixtape titled Re-Up, which featured himself and other artists. Priority Records unsuccessfully attempted to block this release. In the 2004 song "Rise of the Machines," (which featured Ras) Vinnie Paz, front man of the hip-hop group Jedi Mind Tricks showed where he stood on the issue by saying the words Free Ras Kass on the track. In July 2004, Ras filed a lawsuit against Priority Records, Capitol Records, and EMI in protest to his treatment by the label and claimed breach of contract in an attempt to have the mixtape nullified. Ras was denied his release from his recording contract with Priority/Capitol/EMI Records in January 2007, even though Priority was absorbed by Capitol during 2004.
The HRSMN was collaboration between four emcees: Canibus, Ras Kass, Kurupt, and Killah Priest. Together the group released one album called The Horsemen Project during 2003 on Think Differently Music/Proverbs/Babygrande Records. Since that release, fans wait for another album. Although some members of the group kept calling it the Four Horsemen, Canibus always had the idea to add more people and form some kind of hip hop supergroup. A lot of names have been mentioned in the past, such as Pharaohe Monch, Kool G Rap, Pac-Man, Young Zee, Chino XL, Royce Da 5'9", Journalist, Lyrisick, Common, Rakim, Pace Won, Keith Murray, Vinnie Paz, Lonnie B, Danja Mowf, and Crooked I. None of these emcees were made a member of the group (though some artists on this list were featured on tracks)
Soul on Ice
Ras Kass Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You need to stop rappin' and start robbin' banks like Steady B
'Cause see, no matter how much green you make
You'll never taste the avocado, just another broke Versace model
Tiger Woods ain't even up to par in the game of survival
That's why I'm in y'all Cristal bottles
Drink Listerine, brush my teeth with amphetamine
So I can sound fresh and say dope things in between
I want a woman with the body of a and a personality like Lauryn
Can't even say I didn't know
'Cause while we wanna be N.W.A. they create the N.W.O
How many years (fo' mo'), so them fake John Gotti's
Ain't got no Maseratis, I be at the party sippin' hot toddies
My bumps in Arabic, out Audis in Saudi
I'm thuggish ruggish to the bone
And I'm gonna diss everybody, and I'm gonna diss everybody
You want the truth, can't handle the truth
You want Lexus moonroof, Hennessy 80 proof
Scared to death, playin' the game of life
Soul on ice
You want the truth, can't handle the truth
You want Lexus moonroof, Hennessy 80 proof
Scared to death, playin' the game of life
Soul on ice
I keep the afterparty swervin', not quite like Michael Irvin
Edumacating urban youth, like it or not
These soliloquies explain our people's lack of stability
You keepin' it real, but ain't got a clue what reality really be
See the diameter of your knowledge is the circumference of your activity
Me, I knew the deal before Babyface went solo, baggin' dime pieces
Stackin' dividends and dressin' in more linen than Yoko Ono
But on the low doe, we fightin' over the scraps
Worshippin' the almighty dollar, "In God We Trust," look it over
Now what pyramids got to do with the pilgrims or Jehovah?
Novus Ordo Seclorum means New World Order
That's why I keep my friends close and my enemies closer
We runnin' around in thousand dollar clown suits
Better get some boots when Lucifer turn your city to Beirut
You want the truth, can't handle the truth
You want Lexus moonroof, Hennessy 80 proof
Scared to death, playin' the game of life
Soul on ice
You want the truth, can't handle the truth
You want Lexus moonroof, Hennessy 80 proof
Scared to death, playin' the game of life
Soul on ice
Avoid one-time, got Lela Rochon callin' my Jimmy sunshine
Fifth floor of the Mondrian, so go 'head, fella, pop your Dom
I'm the man whose esophagus transform to a gat like Megatron
Here's a sport unknown to Bob Costas, give it a name and you a hater
But violence don't play that game, man
Guerilla penmanship, the, preacher impeacher
Heat seeker MC when I get pissed like a urethra
My day-to-day, I'm tryna bubble, first place
This paper I chase, "Touch Me and Tease Me" like Case
But in the millennium, this C.R.E.A.M. turns electronic
UPC barcodes on the hand is demonic
They got concentration camps, from Alaska to Jersey
But when the President declare a national emergency
He payin' car notes tryna Rock the Vote
I'm spittin' razor-sharp quotes tryin' to slit a throat
You want the truth, can't handle the truth
You want Lexus moonroof, Hennessy 80 proof
Scared to death, playin' the game of life
Soul on ice
You want the truth, can't handle the truth
You want Lexus moonroof, Hennessy 80 proof
Scared to death, playin' the game of life
Soul on ice
Uh, uh, yeah
I'm rhymin', beats provided by Diamond
Ras Kass's "Soul on Ice" is a politically charged rap song that dives deep into the societal and political issues afflicting the black community in America. The song uses powerful and often provocative lyrics that criticize not only the government but also hip hop and society's prevalent attitudes towards race.
In the first verse, Ras Kass critiqued the societal norms that tell people to act their age and not their color, indicating that he would rather act darker than his skin tone implies. He also talked about how he had to be educated and orientated before engaging in hip hop since there were many lies in the industry. Ras further criticized society for its lack of action and reliance on non-violent resistance and civil rights, saying it was not enough to make an impact.
In the second verse of the song, Ras Kass focused more on hip hop and the rapper lifestyle. He described how he was two steps ahead and had started from square three, implying that he was more intelligent and aware than his peers. Ras Kass criticized the rapper lifestyle and how it masked toxic masculine attitudes and underlying homophobia, advising against fighting openly since it could lead to the contraction of HIV positivity. He warned of the political climate, mentioning 'Novus Ordo Seclorum', a Latin phrase appearing on the back of the dollar bill translating to "New World Order."
Line by Line Meaning
I was told two wrongs don't make a right
I was taught that doing something wrong to correct a wrong is not justified.
But three rights make a left
But if you do three good things, you might end up going in a completely different direction.
Act your age not your color
People should act based on maturity level rather than the color of their skin.
But I'd rather act darker
But I would rather act darker than how society expects me to act because of systemic racism.
Mark a page with mazes of labyrinth
I write complex and intricate rhymes that are difficult to understand.
Fuck up a rhyme so bad
I could mess up a rhyme so poorly that I would not want to rap anymore.
I leave the microphone abstinent
I walk away from the microphone, ending my performance due to my terrible rhymes.
To MC or not to MC?
To be a rapper or not to be a rapper?
Beyond B.E.T. and MTV exists me
I exist outside the mainstream music industry promoted by BET and MTV.
Cause God created man and man created hip hop
God created humans, who in turn created hip hop music.
I declined to participate until I was orientated
I chose not to participate in hip hop music until I knew more about it.
I heard 50,000 drivebys
I have heard of many violent drive-by shootings in my community.
And 49,999 was lies
Almost all reports about drive-by shootings are untrue and often fabricated by the media.
No surprise, as the sun rises
It is no longer surprising that the media reports are false, just as it's not surprising the sun still rises each day.
Thine eyes have seen the light
I have realized the truth about the false media reports and see things clearly.
But we stalk the night
Despite the issues we face, we still face them and keep moving forward.
I expose like an overbite
I reveal the truth about issues like an overbite reveals one's teeth.
In limbo I lamp
I exist in a state of uncertainty or being stuck between two points.
Rape the lady kill the tramp
This line is a critique of misogyny and violence against women in hip hop music.
The wrong action for the motive
Doing the wrong thing for the right reason is still problematic.
So now
As a result of this, I feel strongly about the following sentiment.
Give me 50,000 black angry role models
I want to see positive examples of angry black men who are making a difference rather than just perpetuating more violence.
Take me to DC I'll throw the first fuckin' bottle
I am so frustrated with the state of things that I am willing to take violent action to make a change.
Cause I don't give a fuck about a menial existence
I don't care about living a basic life, I want more than that.
And I don't give a fuck about nonviolent resistance
I don't believe that peaceful protests are enough to make significant changes in society.
Civil right will not suffice
Fighting for civil rights alone is not enough to bring about the change we need in society.
In the name of Jesus Christ they got my Soul On Ice
This line implies that systemic issues are so troubling that they can make one feel a sense of spiritual numbness and hopelessness.
Walkin' on skulls cause I'm two steps ahead
I am metaphorically 'winning' and outsmarting others with my intellect.
So I started at square three
I did not start from the beginning in achieving my success, I skipped ahead.
Now I'm Cubed like O'Shea Jackson be
I am extremely successful, like the rapper and actor O'Shea Jackson, also known as Ice Cube.
Subzero catching fatalities to my spirituality
I am experiencing spiritual death and destruction like the characters in the Mortal Kombat video game series.
Smoke like a chimney, drink like a Kennedy
I consume drugs and alcohol excessively and with abandon.
Still no remedy
This lifestyle has not solved any of my problems or brought me happiness.
Fuck shooting a fair one
I refuse to fight someone one-on-one in a fair fight.
Cause open cuts from fuckin' some nigga up
Fighting can lead to injury and make one more susceptible to getting sick, especially when the injury comes from fighting someone who is HIV positive.
Can lead to contracting HIV positivity
Fighting and physical violence increases the risk of contracting HIV/AIDS.
You never know who got traits of femininity
People who may not appear to be traditionally masculine have the same capacity for violence as anyone else.
What agwan, pussy wool blood clot
This is Jamaican Patois slang for 'what is going on' and is a form of verbal aggression.
And deal with the bullshit bodybot business faggot
This is using homophobic and transphobic language, perpetuating harm and hate towards people in the LGBTQIA+ community.
You play the villain
If one chooses to become a villain in society or portray a villainous character in media, someone else will come along and defeat them.
There will be another soundbwoy killin'
There will be someone who will come and defeat the current villain, like in a sound clash competition in Jamaican dancehall culture.
Benadryl pumps through my adrenaline
This line refers to using the medication Benadryl as a sedative or relaxing drug, using it to counteract the adrenaline rush of being in high-pressure situations.
Feelin' my raps weight
I feel the heaviness and significance of my lyrics and the responsibility that comes with speaking out on important issues.
I track Heavy like Tony Dofat
I am producing high-quality tracks like Tony Dofat, a well-known producer.
Hip hop is 2% milk but mostly no fat (phat)
Hip hop is mostly about substance and has very little filler content, like milk with 2% fat content.
And most MCs ain't prepared
Most rappers are not equipped to handle the complexities of social justice issues and deliver meaningful messages through their music.
So what I say goes over your head like pubic hair
My lyrics are difficult to understand and require a certain level of intellectual engagement, like the hair on one's pubic region.
In 1999 (flip the script)
This line is a reference to Y2K and the fear that the year 2000 would bring the end of the world (flip the 'script').
Triple six
666, the number associated with Satan and the antichrist.
One world government 'Novus Ordo Seclorum'
This is the Latin phrase that appears on the U.S. dollar bill meaning 'New Order of the Ages,' which some conspiracy theorists believe is indicative of a shadowy, controlling government.
Check your dead president
Take a closer look at the symbolism on U.S. currency and the significance behind it.
Represented on the one dollar bill
The U.S. government and its symbols are directly represented on the currency, signifying their control and power.
And if Clinton was the answer it was a stupid question
President Clinton, despite his popularity and perceived progressiveness, was still not the solution to America's systemic issues and inequalities.
My Soul's On Ice
This is a repetition of the song's title and implies that the singer still feels numb and spiritually frozen due to the issues they face.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: John Austin, Lamont Holbdy
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind